Hedge-trimmer



(No Model.)

W. THROGKMORTON.

HEDGE TRIMMER;

No. 260,255. ,PatentedJu'ne 2'7, 1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ,QFFICE.

VVILLIAM'F. THROOKMORTON, OF ADAIR, ILLINOIS.

HEDGE-TRIMMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 260,255, dated June 27,1882.

Application filed December 2, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. THRooK-MORTON, of Adair, in the county of McDonough and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Hedge- Trimmers; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a .full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

'My invention has for its object to produce an improved handhedge-trimmer simple in construction, convenient to use, and efficientin operation; and its novelty consists, first, in an adjustable uprightstandard, curved at its upper end, forming a yoke, which is providedwith shoulder-pads, and the lower end is provided with a hip-brace, incombination with a frame-bar having rigidly-attached suitable projectingstirrups provided with perforations and adjusting-pins; second, in aframe-bar provided with a handle and an upright adjustableyoke-standard, in combination with a driving-shaft supported on aframe-bar and parallel therewith, having fly-wheel on one end andoperating the cutting-bar at the other, all as hereinafter more fullydescribed.

In the drawing, A represents a bar of wood, to which are attachedsuitable bearings for the shaft 3 which has attached to it the fiy-wheeln, pinion It, and crank-wheel c.

On the front end of the bar A there are suitable receptacles-one on top,the other on the side-which are for/the purpose of attachin g thesickle-bar either in a horizontal or vertical position. The braces a"and 70 hold the sickle-bar firmly in either position. I

0 represents an upright, the upper part being bent so as tofit aroundthe operators neck, and has attached'to it suitable shoulder-pads, s s.The straight part has a series of holes for the purpose of adjusting itsuitably to the height of the operator, which is accomplished by meansof pins passing through it and the stirrups O and V, which hold theupright O firmly in any position in which it maybe placed.

The lower stirrup, V, is provided with a series of holes for the purposeof adjusting the upright (J in a lateral position for the purpose ofelevating the outer end of the sickle-bar B. A leather strap, (notshown,) havinga buckle to lengthen or shorten it, is attached to thestaple t on the outer shoulder-pad and to the eye a in the end of thehandle g, which is to assist in carrying and balancing the machine.

M represents a not on the end of the shaft y, by which, by means of asuitable spring or rubber packing between the nut and end of the hub ofthe fly-wheel, the fly-wheel is kept at such a tension as to allow it toturn on its axle should the cutters strike anything too hard to cut,thereby preventing breakage. J represents a hip-brace.

The operation is as follows: The operator places the sickle-bar B ineither a horizontal or vertical position, as may be required. He thenadjusts the upright G to the proper height, then places the curved partaround his neck, having the pads s s fit down on his shoulders. Theleather strap described is then buckled up to the'properlength, and hetakes hold ofthc crank on the drive-wheel a with his right hand and thehandle 9 with his left hand, and by turning the drive-wheel a by meansof the pinion Rgives motion to the shaft 3 which gives motion to thecrank-wheel c, which imparts by means of the pitman d a reciprocatingmotion to the cutters in the sicklebar B.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The adjustable upright standard 0, carrying at its upper end theyoke, which is provided with shoulder-pads s s, and at the lower endcarrying the hip-brace J, in combination with the bar A, having therigidly-attached projecting stirrups O and V, provided with perforationsand adjusting-pins, for the purpose set forth, and substantially asdescribed.

2. The frame-bar A, provided with handle 9 and adjustable yoke-standardO, in combination with the driving shaft or bar 3 supported upon theframe-bar A and parallel therewith, carrying the fly-wheel at one endand operatin g the cutter-bar at the other, asset forth.

WM. I THROOKMORTON.

Witnesses:

T. J. PRICE, JOHN M. PRICE.

